Quite often, when I talk to potential founders, I hear them say: "I have an idea. I guess, now I need a business plan." Yes, right.

But before jumping straight into such an exercise (which most people by far underestimate in terms of time and effort required), there are a couple of completely non-business questions to be answered. Whenever you have trouble answer them, make sure to get them resolved before continuing, as they have a huge impact on any business plan:

Why do I want to do this at all?

A lot of aspiring founders are stumbling on that one already. To make a living? To get rich? To improve the world? To become famous? Just out of curiosity to see whether it would work? To earn some money on the side?

This question alone has some implications for your business plan: the aggressiveness of the plan, or the underlying business model (it's not that difficult to make a living out of a one-person consulting business, but probably it will not make you extremely rich).

What price I am willing to pay?

Everything in life comes attached with a price tag, although not necessarily a monetary one. The price one has to pay while founding a business can be high. Reduced spare time, long working hours even on weekends, reduced time available for friends and family, financial uncertainty. The higher the price you are willing to pay, the better your chances are for succeeding.

What do my family and friends think about it?

This question has two aspects:

- What do they think about the business idea?

This gives you a first feedback from the market, at least on a high level (at least if you plan to have some kind of consumer business in mind). If all your friends and family tell you "Founding a travel agency selling trips to Mars is stupid" - you should at least evaluate their feedback. If they just don't understand your business because it is some highly advanced biotech concept, you should seek feedback from people more familiar with the particular area you plan to start your business.

- What do they think about the fact that I want to start a business?

This is an important fact as you will need at least their understanding or - even better- their support in the upcoming months or years. It can be quite annoying when you hear every time you meet friends things like "Did I tell you already the story of the guy who went bankrupt when trying to start a business?"

Honest feedback is important, but it is much better to receive it with a "You can do it" rather with a "You are doomed" attitude.

How much risk can I bear?

This highly depends on your current circumstances and your financial resources. If you are single, just out of university and little monthly running cost, you probably can take a higher risk than somebody who has to earn money to support a family of five. But if the later has already made a fortune, the situation might be just the other way around...

Can I do it alone or not?

In general, I highly recommend to not start a business alone (unless you plan just a one-person consulting business). But whenever your idea gets more complex and goes beyond freelancing, sharing the burden with enhances the chances for a successfully start. If - you partner with the right person:

Do I partner with the right people?

I always say that starting a business with one (or more) partners is like marriage without a separation of property: You stick together for a major part of your time, a "divorce" is not easy and is usually painful. So, make sure you team with the right people.

Some criterias are:

- Although tempting at the beginning, partnering with friends is not always the best idea. Friendship can make you blind for some important aspects to consider.

- Diversity of skills: Does your team has all the necessary skills you require? Business, marketing, technical skill, whatever is required. Chances are that your friends have similar skills if you know them from studying or former work.

- Same level of risk tolerance and same motivation: Make sure the people you partner with share both your willingness and ability to share risk( e.g. live of from savings for some time) and the same motivation. If one of you wants to build the next Google, while the other juts wants to do something next to his regular job, a major clash is just a question of time.

What are my No-Go criteria?

My last (and probably most important) advice is to clearly define No-Go criteria even before you start, and make sure that everybody on the team subscribes to them. This could be a deadline for a agreed business plan, for getting funding, for a technical proof of concept. Not every idea is as bright as it seems at the beginning. More often than not, founders find out during business planning that their concept does not support a company, has too little room for growth or faces high technical risks. Have the courage to pull the plug early on. When you willing to do that, based on clear criteria, you can be sure you continue building your business on a good foundation.

Klaus Wiedemann is Founder and Managing Director of Daisho Blacksmith GmbH, a product and consulting company dedicated to support todays professional with software and methodology to sharpen their competitive edge. He blogs regularly at Not For Slaves, focusing on the working environment of the 21st century and its implications and opportunities for the individual.

• 4 Comments

  

Comments

Nice article. I will look out for you posting in future!

 Posted by: Jeremy at October 23, 2007 5:58 PM

This is actually the second post on this site that was very similar to a post I had written. It's kinda eery.....It's amazing how entrepreneurship pretty much teaches everybody the same lessons. Unfortuneatly though, most of the time we have to learn the hard way. Check out my post on this topic called Hold Off on the Business Plan.

 Posted by: Ben Jones at April 21, 2008 2:04 PM

I have built my company with no money in my pocket.

 Posted by: Reza ghanbari at September 26, 2008 10:35 AM

great article! I have been thinking of starting my own business, and have been racking my brains for ideas. I am currently looking to buy an established business that is put up for sale which has a sound base. That way, I can get the best of both: an established business with a great working concept.

 Posted by: vibhuti at April 6, 2009 9:54 AM

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